With the hopes of improving aged-care resident’s balance, strength and mobility, an exercise park was built into a facility for the first time in Victoria.
Built as part of the National Ageing Research Institute “ENJOY” project, it is the third of its kind, consisting of eight exercise stations that are used to train residents in a safe manner. Each station has a specific purpose, some help residents to be able to move more freely, some help residents lift with more ease and some are designed as uneven walking surfaces to help reduce resident’s risk of falls.
"All the movements are very relevant to what they need to do during the day. They are very functional," Prof. Pazit Levinger who spearheaded the project said.
"The main aim of the project is to implement and evaluate the effect of sustaining engagement in physical activity as well as social and mental health," she added.
"The social aspect is so important because we don't just want to reduce loneliness, we also want them to exercise together as they will enjoy doing it in a group and are more likely to continue exercising after we finish (the project)."
The residents will also go through a training course over a few months, and will be free to exercise independently. This is to ensure that residents are safe and understand their own limitations before putting themselves in a position where they may receive an injury.
Source: Senior News // Image: CC-BY-00
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